Technology Professional Development

Teacher's always struggle with professional development that takes them outside of the classroom and then sends them back alone to integrate. How many times have we all attended workshops or conferences and came home with a bag of fliers and information that gets put in a pile, until you have time to revisit it and figure out how you can use it in your class? I always try to walk away from a workshop with one thing I can go into my classroom and use the next day.

Sylvia Martinez presents research that technology professional development as it exists today is not working for our schools and its students. I think a lot of us can see that. But what is the solution? She presents the idea of students mentoring teachers. Although it takes an open minded, unthreatened teacher to participate in this, I do believe we have many such teachers. In her presentation, Sylvia gives examples and shows footage of the success of this idea. Why not have students work with teachers to plan lessons and activities, while helping teachers become comfortable integrating technology into their classrooms?

The way I see it, this is one effective way to begin breaking down the barriers in schools and catching up with the invisible boundaries that exist in today's world.